Third Time's The Charm
by love.devil.movies.baby
Summary: Ardeth Bey is once again charged with the task of saving the Earth before the Creature can be released. This time he has the help of an unsuspecting stranger. Will the third time be the charm, or will the world fall into peril permanetly?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, obviously I am starting a new story based on characters from the Mummy, one of my favorite movies. It is set after the second movie. Once again, please, please, please review! It helps keep the stories going.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mummy, any of its characters or plots, nor do I pretend to. So I would appreciate it if no one sued. **

A lone figure made his way down the street. It moved quickly and quietly, shrouded in all black. Passersby hastily averted their eyes and stepped out of its path, some even making the effort to cross the street. The figure seemed to pay no mind, but continued calmly on its way. After a moment or so, it paused. The figure moved its hands to his face, removing the black cloth disguising his face.

Lines creased his tattooed face as Ardeth Bey realized that he was lost.

He silently took in his surroundings and tried to place where he was and where he needed to be. After a moment he realized he would have to ask for help. Though his face betrayed nothing, he inwardly sighed. If given the choice, he would never leave his native country of Egypt. Unfortunately, being a Medjai, he sometimes had no choice. He was sworn to protect the secret of the Creature and the evil he could bring to the Earth.

As one of the leaders, it was his job to ensure the world's safety. Unfortunately, rumor had spread recently that the Book of the Dead had been rediscovered and brought to a museum near London. Though the rumor had not been confirmed, recent events had set the Medjai on edge, and they could not afford to take any chances. And so it was Ardeth's unhappy assignment to navigate the streets of England. Trouble was, he was not very used to modern technology. But, he had the most experience in the Western world, thanks to an experience three years back involving the O'Connell's.

He spun around, attempting to find a person to ask for directions. His appearance had driven the general population away from him. He turned again with the intent of entering the nearest building. He was impeded when he slammed full force into a body. He managed to keep his balance and steadied the woman he had bumped into. She had dropped the stack of books she had been holding. He helped her to gather them again.

"Sorry," she mumbled, attempting to gather her belongings as quickly as possible.

"It is no fault of yours," Ardeth responded calmly. "I should not have turned in such haste."

The woman looked up at him, and for the first time, they made eye contact. She quickly looked away.

Ardeth was not bothered. He had discovered that he had this impression on many people, especially those not from his home. "I hoped you might help me with something. I am looking for the Museum of Egyptology, and I cannot seem to locate it. Would you mind directing me?"

The woman did not speak as she attempted to rise to her feet while balancing her stack of books. Ardeth gently coaxed them out of her grasp and held them easily under one arm. She seemed slightly startled by his gesture.

"You don't have to-" he interrupted her by holding up his hand.

"It is the least I can do after knocking down a woman." She flushed slightly.

"The museum is not far from here, and it is on the way to where I am going. I could show you the way."

Ardeth bowed slightly. "Many thanks."

They set off in silence. Ardeth noticed the woman sneaking what she thought were covert looks at him. He assumed it was his tattoos that concerned her. Or perhaps it was his outlandish appearance. Either way, it was of little concern to him. He met her gaze on the fourth or fifth time she glanced his way. Even in the fading sunlight, he could see her brown cheeks darken. He kept his face passive, but inside he chuckled. They rounded a corner, and he came face to face with his destination.

"Here we are," she announced unnecessarily.

"And where is it that you need these books to be carried to?" he asked calmly.

"Oh, I can manage from here," she assured him. "The library is right across the street." She gestured.

He nodded. "Again, many thanks." the woman nodded as she reclaimed her books.

'Of course." she waited a moment as though unsure of what to do. She soon folded under the intense gaze of the strange man she had escorted.

"Well, bye." she said somewhat uncertainly. Turning on her heels, she hurried across the street.

Ardeth watched her disappear into the massive mahogany doors of the library. He smiled slightly at her retreating form, but it soon faded as he prepared for what was ahead. He prayed to Allah that the rumors were false, as he opened to doors to the museum and picked his way through.

The guard glanced at him uncertainly but allowed him to pass. He picked his way through the plethora of stolen treasures. He fumed inwardly at the British belief that the world was a personal play thing and their blatant disrespect for the culture of his people. However, he could not dwell on this, there was a job at hand. An hour later, he had nearly completed his tour of the museum. He breathed a sigh of relief; it was a rumor after all.

He turned to the final case. His heart stopped when his fierce gaze fell on a obsidian book displayed in a glass case. He only allowed himself a moment of shock before he steeled his nerve. He swept out of the museum, taking care to ensure that the guard saw him leave.

When he left the building he quickly swung into the alley behind the building. He thanked Allah for the cover of darkness. He crept onto the ledge of a window and pulled himself up. He slid into the window. Dust floated up and filled his senses as his booted feet connected with the floor. He was in what appeared to be a storage closet. He crouched behind a stack of crates, patiently awaiting the museum's closing time.

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Oni remained in the library long after the sun had left the sky. She was curled up in her favorite worn armchair, her guilty pleasure propped in her lap. The romance novel was hidden inside of a large encyclopedia. Truth be told, she found her habit embarrassing, but she was a hopeless romantic at heart. It was not the only thing she read of course. But sometimes, after filing her brain with research on nearly everything she could get her hands on, it was nice to relax with some low maintenence reading material. Her tastes in non- fiction were equally as romantic as the novels she read. She learned all she could about far -flung countries and distant retreats. She knew about Greece, Australia, the Caribbean, the Middle East and nearly every part of Africa. As a result she was an arsenal of relatively useless facts about all sorts of things. But the knowledge anchored her to the real world and took her away from her loneliness.

The hours ticked by and she soon was startled from he fantasy world by a librarian clearing her throat. She sheepishly gathered up her books under the gaze of the impatient woman who tapped her foot as though attempting to speed up Oni's departure.

Oni hurried out of the doors, tucking her two books of choice into her bag: a romance novel involving an American adventurer and a British researcher and a book chronicling the gods and goddesses of various countries. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a group of suited men enter the museum across the street. She thought nothing of it and swung the bag over her shoulder and made her way down the sidewalk. She had just begun humming to herself when a series of gunshots rang out from across the street. Before her mind could register what had happened an explosion rocked the street. She stumbled, frantically taking cover behind a nearby wall. The men in suits rushed from the doors of the museum. Flames leapt from the window, casting light on the large black object one of the suited men was carrying. They were yelling to each other as they piled into a nearby car. She could only make out part of their conversation over the din of the blaze.

"The flames will take care of that one, but soon others will arrive to try and take it from us."

"More Medjai?"

"Many more."

The men swung into the car and peeled off. Oni had no idea what they meant by it, but had the sinking feeling that they had left someone in the building. She cautiously picked her way across the street and toward the building. Using her sweater to cover her mouth, she squinted into the smoke. She could make out a lone black figure laying just past the doorway. Without hesitation she rushed into the building. She grasped the man's ankles and pulled. He was impossibly heavy. She looked around frantically, praying help would arrive. The only thing she saw were the spreading flames. She glanced back at the figure and steeling herself, she pulled with all her might. The man's body began to slide. When she reached the door, she rolled him out and as far away as she could from the building. To her horror, she noticed he wasn't moving, or even breathing.

She tilted his head back, pulled his mouth open, and breathed for him. Her hand rested on his chest. There was no heartbeat. She pumped his heart for him as well, cringing when she heard his ribs crack beneath the weight of her body. She continued for several minutes. She was tiring rapidly. She had to keep going. Oni didn't know how much time passed after that, but she distinctly recalled the sound of sirens.

Firemen poured out of their truck. They immediately set to putting out the fire. Two large men hefted the man from the grass and loaded him into the truck. She noticed with a start that it was the same man she had guided to the museum several hours ago. She did not know how his tattoos had failed to catch her attention. Her heart rattled against her chest. She realized that for the last several minutes, she had been running on pure adrenaline.

"Miss?" A fireman addressed her. "Do you know this man?" She stared past him, watching the others load the large man's limp body into the truck.

"Miss?' he asked again, "Miss?" she snapped her eyes back to him. She knew that normally only family would be allowed into the ambulance. She did not want the man to be alone. Not now.

She nodded. "Yes, we are engaged." she said quickly, deciding that they did not look close enough to be related by blood.

The fireman nodded. "Alright then." he helped her into the ambulance.

She sat to the right side of her tattooed, dark stranger. She grasped his burning hand and prayed that he survived. She did not know who he was, but she knew she had never wanted anyone to live as much as she wanted him to.


	2. Chapter 2

_After an hour or so, Ardeth crept out of the closet. The museum had been darkened to nearly pitch black. It did not matter much to Ardeth, his eyes were fine tuned by countless nights in the desert. He was thankful for the cover. Shrouded in his dark clothing, he became nearly invisible. He quickened his stride and made his way to the back of the museum, and the book, as silently as possible. Even in the darkness, the book was illuminated by the soft glow of its case's light. Ardeth knelt near the base of the case. His eyes swept over it, taking in every detail, planning the most inconspicuous way to achieve his goal. _

_After a moment, he located a small door in the wooden paneling of the case. He removed a small, thin metal rod from somewhere in his robes and inserted it into the lock of the door. A few twists later, the lock gave, popping the door open. Ardeth inserted his hand and reached slowly upward, releasing the latch that opened the case. He rose to his feet and removed the book. Within the next minute, the case had been closed and locked as though no one had been there, but it was now empty. Ardeth made his way back to the closet, the book tucked securely under his arm. _

_He stopped in his tracks when he heard the main doors of the museum swing open and then slam shut. A stampede of feet were moving quickly toward him, taking no care to be quiet. He cursed silently and then broke out into a sprint, trying to get around the corner and into the closet before he was spotted._

_It was too late._

_The group of suited men burst in, surrounding him before he could make a move. Ardeth looked for an escape, and found none. It appeared that it was fight or be taken. He shifted his weight, preparing to fight to the death if necessary. Failure was not an option. The men all came at him at once. He dodged one of them and then turned, elbowing another in the face. Before the man had hit the ground, Ardeth rounded again, punching another and kicking the feet out from a fourth. He then ran, as hard as he could, for any exit. Behind him rounds of gunfire broke out. The bullets whizzed around him. He did not slow down, the exit was within 100 meters. He was almost there. One bullet sped by, connecting with a gas powered furnace. The explosion was instantaneous._

_Ardeth was thrown backward by the force of the explosion. His body sailed through the air, tossed effortlessly like a rag doll. He connected with the marble of the tile with a sickening thud. His breath left him. The men once again surrounded him. One attempted to pry the book from his fingers. He kicked out catching the man in the chest. The others ascended on him. He fought for a moment before he was overcome. The butt of a gun connected with the top of his head. He slumped to the floor. The men seized the book from his slackened grip and ran toward the exit. Ardeth was lying face down, rapidly losing consciousness. With his last ounce of strength, he crawled forward a few feet. Just a few meters short of the exit, his body went slack as he slid into darkness._

Ardeth awoke with a start. He struggled to open his eyes, his lids heavy with exhaustion. He raised his right hand to the mask covering his face. He felt it gingerly, realizing that oxygen was flowing through it. He shifted his weight, attempting to look at his surroundings. He was stopped by a sharp pain from his ribs. He groaned. Something near him stirred, and to his surprise he noticed that a smaller hand was enclosed within his own. The hand belonged to the woman who was asleep near him, her head cradled by her arms. He gingerly pulled his hand away, and her hand fluttered to the bed. The motion startled her awake. She sat up and lifted her head. Her dark eyes found his. Ardeth realized who she was.

"You're awake," she stated. Her voice was low and heavy with sleep.

"And where do I find myself?" he asked.

"You don't know?" she stretched. "You're at the hospital."

"And why are you here as well?"

"I found you. In the museum." Ardeth had begun to get up now. He lifted his body up and out of the bed with a wince. He noticed his traditional garb had been replaced with some sort of blue tarp. He also noticed that it was open in the back. So did Oni. She thanked God for the cover of darkness, for her face had flushed at the sight.

"I thank you for your help, but now I must go." he began moving toward the door.

"Wait!" Oni was up and moving after him. "You can't leave. You inhaled so much smoke, and your ribs-"

"I have had worse," he said as he continued toward the door.

Oni looked on incredulously. The man had drive. She suspected that whatever he was involved in was something she should stay away from. Her curiosity got the better of her though.

"Why do you have to leave so soon?" she asked.

The concern in her voice caused Ardeth to turn around to face her.

"I apologize, but I cannot explain. Trust that it is of the utmost importance. I must hurry. I have lost time already." he turned again.

"Do you want your clothes and things back?" she hurriedly followed him down the hall. His strides were long and steady, despite the pain he must have been in. Without stopping he looked back at her.

"Do you know where they are?" she nodded. In the dark she could not see him stop moving. She nearly collided with him again, but he steadied her with an arm around her waist. He looked at her expectantly.

"I have them," she explained quietly. In that dark she could see him cock his eyebrows questioningly. "I told them that we were engaged." for some reason she felt embarrassed by this knowledge. "I didn't want to you to have to go to the hospital alone. They gave me your things. They are in my car just down the road. I left them there when I went to get something to eat."

Ardeth held up a hand for her to stop. "I thank you. I must get them quickly, and then I will leave." his face formed lines of worry. She grabbed his hand.

"This way." she said, pulling him in the opposite direction that they had been going. They made their way out of the nearly abandoned hospital without being noticed. Ardeth had no problem keeping up as they hurried their way down the street and to a lone black car at the corner. Oni inserted the key in the trunk of the car. She began handing him his belongings when another car rounded the corner. The lights were off, but Ardeth heard it and turned. It was silver, and he could just make out suited men through the windows. He could also see one of the men rolling down the window. As Oni shut the trunk, the barrel of a gun became visible. Ardeth reacted immediately, pulling Oni down. A shot rang out.

Oni began to scream and clutched Ardeth tightly as another series of shots rang out, narrowly missing them. Ardeth reached up and grabbed the keys from the trunk. He pulled her up, shielding her with his body and moved them rapidly to the other side of the car. The silver car had stopped now, and men were climbing out, armed to the teeth. Oni opened her car door and dove in, followed narrowly by Ardeth. She thrust the keys into the ignition and floored the gas pedal. The car roared to life and speed away. In the rear view mirror she could see the men shouting and clambering back into their vehicle. She sped up, zooming around the corner and down the street. She was shaking visibly. After a few moments, it became obvious that the men were not following them. Ardeth reached out to steady her. She swerved the car in surprise.

"Relax," he said in a soothing baritone. "I do not believe we are being pursued." Oni looked at him as though his head had just caught fire.

"Relax?!" she squeaked out. "We were just shot at! What are we going to do? What if they come after us?" she began shaking more fiercely.

"Shhh," he murmured. "I will not allow harm to befall you." Oni remained silent, but tears had begun to spring up in her eyes. Ardeth spoke again. "I apologize, but you are now too involved. You must accompany me, at least until I can ensure your safety. Turn here." he instructed.

Oni wordlessly obeyed. Ardeth continued, "I need to return to Egypt and inform the rest of my people of what has transpired here. Those men must be stopped before a horrible fate befalls the world." Oni sobbed loudly. "We need to get to the planes as quickly as possible," he said.

She nodded, the tears flowed down her cheeks. "There will be time later for tears," he said gently, "but now we must get to safety." Oni looked at him. They shared a brief moment of eye contact. Oni accelerated, driving the car toward the airport as fast as she could. The minutes dragged by. They sat in silence for the next half hour, the quiet only broken by Oni's quiet sniffles and Ardeth stirring uncomfortably in his seat. The planes soon became visible.

"Do not park where the car can be easily spotted," Ardeth instructed. Oni pulled the car into a garage just down the road. She stopped the ignition. Ardeth immediately got out of the car, pulling the hospital robe off as he went. Oni averted her eyes in embarrassment. Her time alone allowed her to take in the situation she was now in. Her heart sunk. Would she ever be able to return home? She thanked her stars that she did not have a family to worry for her. She was startled out of her thoughts by a now clothed Ardeth pulling her door open.

"It is time." he said simply, reaching for her hand. She took it. She removed anything she might need from her car, including a roll of bandages the hospital had given her for Ardeth's ribs. She tucked them into her bag along with the books she had gotten earlier. She followed Ardeth through the garage and along the backstreets until they reached a small, dirty plane. A man dressed in the same fashion as Ardeth stood in front of it. The men conversed in low quick whispers. Finally, the other man nodded then looked to Oni. He silently turned and got into the cockpit of the plane. Ardeth turned to her.

"We must hurry." Oni nodded, but could not resist one last look at the world behind her. London's lights blazed off in the distance. She felt hands go around her waist and then felt herself being hefted into the plane. She marveled that he could lift her with his ribs in the condition that they were. The plane lifted off the ground. The two men conversed again in a language Oni realized was Hebrew. She could only hear snatches of their conversation. She was surprised to realize that she understood some of the language. After a few minutes, Ardeth turned back to her.

"We are on our way to Egypt. When we arrive, we will hide you among the women of my people."

Oni did not respond. Ardeth leaned back in his seat, then let out a deep sigh. Oni looked at him, a strange realization crashing over her.

"It might be a little late for this, but could I at least know your name?" she asked. She could see his face break into a smile at her question and she heard the chuckle of the pilot.

"Ardeth Bey," he said to her. "leader of the Medjai, descendents of the guardians of the ancient Pharos of Egypt and protectors of the world from the evil of the Creature. And you are?"

Oni raised her eyebrows at his pronouncement. She decided that she would rather not know what he meant by the 'evil of the Creature.'

"Oni." she answered simply. Ardeth nodded.

"That means 'wanted' in Egyptian." he stated. Oni nodded. "You are an Egyptian then?"

Oni looked at him. "I am an orphan. I do not know." He scrutinized her face.

"You have the look of a Hebrew about you. I would not be surprised if you were to find that you are one." The man in the pilot's seat turned and said something to Ardeth. He leaned forward to respond. Oni felt her body begin to succumb to her exhaustion. Within moments, she was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Aware that Oni was sleeping, Ardeth conversed with the other man in a low voice. The pilot was his fellow Medjai, Nizam. Nizam was a few years older than Ardeth, but followed his leader faithfully. He had spent the last several years posing in the modern world. As a result, he learned to drive a car, and most recently, fly a plane. His services were a great asset to the Medjai. Ardeth treasured him as a friend. He had recounted the actions of the last few hours to Nizam who listened in silence. When asked, Ardeth also admitted his injuries.

Nizam spoke. "I suspected that you were not well. Is it only your ribs?"

Ardeth answered. "My body feels like one giant bruise, but my ribs are the only major problem, yes."

Nizam chuckled lowly. "You need rest my friend. The plane will not go down if you sleep."

Ardeth clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Many thanks my friend. I will sleep. Let us pray that we are not too late." Nizam nodded solemnly.

"Rest well my friend." Ardeth laid his head back against the seat. The medicine that the hospital had administered was wearing off. His ribs felt like fire in his chest and every breath was like a stab. He closed his eyes, willing his body to calm down and sleep. The pain kept him awake for a while more, but soon his body submitted. He awoke several hours later to sunlight streaming through the window of the plane. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and groaned. His whole body felt frozen stiff. He slowly extended his legs, wincing in pain as his body screamed in protest. Oni stirred next to him. In her sleep she had managed to snuggle her way into the crook of his arm. She was resting there now, her face at peace. Ardeth gazed at her for a moment, trying to remain still so as not to wake her.

"It was amazing how she did that." Nizam spoke from the front of the plane. "She made her way inch by inch. I am surprised that you did not feel it."

Ardeth chuckled. The rumbling of his chest set his ribs ablaze. He gritted his teeth, cursing silently. Oni woke up. Upon realizing her position, she pulled back slightly.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked earnestly.

Ardeth smiled at her through the pain. "Do not worry. It was not you."

She looked at him while he attempted to get more comfortable without disturbing his ribs. "I'm sorry that I had to break them. I couldn't feel your heartbeat."

Ardeth smiled at her again. "No worries. Never apologize for saving a life. Did you manage to get any rest?"

"I did. Did you?"

"More or less."

She looked at him again, this time sweeping her eyes down to his chest. The bandages had clearly begun to unravel from his ribs. Part of the bandage was hanging visibly out of his shirt. They would need to be redone or he would not heal correctly.

"You need your bandages redone," she said, reaching down for her bag. She pulled out a small container of pills. She opened the bottle and shook several into her palm. She held them out to him. "Swallow these," she instructed. Ardeth eyed them warily. "They will ease the pain." she explained. Nizam listened to the exchange curiously. Ardeth took the pills from her and placed them in his mouth. He grimaced when they began to melt, coating his tongue. Oni noticed, and handed him a small canteen of water.

"That should help." she said. "Now I need to redo the bandages." Ardeth pulled back.

"It is not proper for a woman to-" Oni rolled her eyes.

"It is either that, or you will heal incorrectly. You will need as much strength as you can for whatever it is you have to do. And seeing as I cannot fly a plane, and you cannot properly bandage yourself, I will have to do it." Nizam and Ardeth looked at each other, stunned by the tone of her voice. It left no room for argument. Ardeth was reminded of his mother.

"Alright," he agreed. He heard Nizam's low laugh. Oni helped him remove his shirt slowly so as not to cause him more pain. She then unraveled the already loose bandage. It fell away, exposing his chest. The tan muscle was marred by a myriad of dark bruises. She gingerly placed one end of the bandage at the base of his ribs.

"This is going to hurt," she warned. She felt his body tense below her hand. She pressed down firmly, then began the process of wrapping the bandage around his body. The whole event took about 15 minutes. When Oni finished, she tucked the end firmly over, satisfied that it was tight enough. Ardeth breathed shallowly, his movement restricted by Oni's handiwork.

"All done." she pronounced, helping him put his shirt back on. "You should be good as new in about six weeks."

"Thank you. But I do not have the time to rest." He adjusted his clothing, feeling better thanks to the pills and Oni's help. "When will we arrive?" he asked Nizam.

"In about an hour or so." Ardeth nodded.

"Good." he turned to Oni. "You will be safe with our people. Our women will welcome you."

"You will be gossiping with them in no time," Nizam added kindly. Oni appreciated it. Her nervousness was apparent.

"And I will be safe?" she asked.

"The safest," Ardeth responded. He leaned in closer to her as Nizam fiddled with some of the controls. "Do no fear Oni, I will protect you." his warm breath and words comforted her more than she would have thought possible for a stranger. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You have saved my life twice now. Thank you."

Oni's heartbeat increased at his proximity. She knew that it mattered little; she had been in too many intense situations to qualify them as strangers. However, now in the daylight, with the shock of his appearance fading, she could fully distinguish his features. His tattoos did not hinder his looks at all, but strangely seemed to enhance them. His nose was thin, a characteristic of his people. He had attentive, almond shaped eyes, the color of black coffee. His dark hair had a natural waviness and fell to his shoulders. His facial hair was well-groomed, accentuating full lips. All in all, Oni had to admit that he was not bad to look at. Not bad at all. His presence had a dual effect on her; at times he calmed her down with his soothing demeanor, and other times he intimidated her. His lack of visible fear, his tall stature, and his resistance to pain made her glad that this man was he ally and not her enemy. He was clearly a born leader, doing what needed to be done in order to ensure whatever he was protecting was kept safe. She admired him.

He smiled at her, revealing a row straight white teeth. She found herself smiling back.

Ardeth sat back in his seat relaxing. "What were those things you gave me?" he asked her. "I might need to get some of my own." he winked at her. Oni had a feeling that he was only unguarded like this in rare moments. She smiled at him.

"I am glad they are working."

Nizam turned around, observing his leaders face. "Hmmm…" he muttered his face twisted in a faux thoughtful expression. "Do you have any more for me?" The three of them laughed, glad for the tension of their situation to be lifted temporarily.

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The sweltering sun was beating down on Oni. She wished she had any protection from it. She knew the Egypt was hot, but no one had told her how hot it was. In comparison to London, the place she had spent the majority of her adulthood, Egypt was boiling. Ardeth and Nizam were shielded from the rays by their clothing. Oni was certain that her skin was going to start melting if she did not get out of the sun's beams soon. Ardeth gazed backward at her.

"We will be inside soon." he said knowingly. They were hurrying down the streets of Egypt. Despite her condition, Oni was taking in everything and longed to stop at every cart they passed. They were passing through market. It was a flurry of color and sound and smell. She scarcely noticed when they had paused and Ardeth began a discussion with a group of women. The women smiled at her, beckoning her into the tent behind them. She glanced at Ardeth, who nodded for her to follow them.

The tent was nearly 20 degrees cooler than outside. Oni was instantly relieved. The women set about helping her undress. She was at first embarrassed, but not wanting to be rude, she allowed them to help. One of the women approached carrying a bowl of perfumed water. Oni had her first bath in Egypt. Afterward, she changed into the new clothes that Ardeth had apparently bought for her. The traditional Egyptian clothing was black and soft and smelled of sandalwood. She pulled on the veil that had gone with it to shield her face from the sun. She thanked the women graciously before she left the tent. When she emerged she found that the weather was infinitely more tolerable. She scanned the area before her eyes landed on Nizam and Ardeth.

Ardeth and Nizam discussed their plan of action as they waited for Oni. They agreed that the suited men would inevitably come back to Egypt, as they needed to locate the key for the book. They would be waiting for them. Ardeth warned that the men were well-armed and, from the looks of their clothing, well financed.

Nizam frowned, his face creasing with concern. "We must pray to Allah that we will succeed where they fail."

Ardeth agreed.

They were lounging in the shade now, talking in low whispers. Out of the corner of his eye, Ardeth saw the women emerging from the tent. He scanned the group for Oni. He nearly did not notice her until she was in front of him. She looked right at home clothed the way she was. All doubt that she was Egyptian fled his mind. She was undoubtedly a woman of his homeland. Her long face with its accentuated cheekbones and round, kohl rimmed eyes looked as Egyptian as all of the other women here. The veil covered nearly all of her dark curls, which had been in a bun until recently. She looked alive since shedding the drab western blouse and pencil skirt. He had difficulty looking away. Behind him, Nizam chuckled knowingly to himself. The leader of his tribe had never taken a wife, though not from lack of available women. He simply seemed married to his work. Nizam would admit, the events of the last few years had left little time for love. He watched the Medjai leader who seemed captivated by the woman in front of him. Maybe, after this all was over, their would be time for Ardeth to find peace and begin a family.

Nizam and Ardeth bowed, thanking the women for their help. A man approached, holding two ropes to which two camels were tied. Ardeth addressed Oni.

"It is an hour's ride to our camp from here. You will have to ride with one of us." Nizam helped hoist her onto the nearest of the two camels.

"I hope you will not mind riding with an old man like me" he whispered, "but I fear for his ribs." Oni smiled at him.

"Of course not. And you are not so old."

Nizam swung up behind her. "Best not sit too close," he said louder, "My wife will not be so happy." Ardeth broke into a laugh. He hefted himself onto his camel, taking care not to show the tremendous effort it took. Oni noticed though, as did Nizam. He looked down and Oni and shook his head slightly, a silent plea to not acknowledge his leader's distress.

The rest of the ride was spent amicably, with Nizam joking mildly with Oni, trying to keep her attention on him and not the concerned look of Ardeth. The pain of his body was numbed by his mind. His focus was solely on how to re-obtain the book. He was still thinking about it when the first signs of his village became apparent on the horizon. More and more came into sharper view until people were visible as well.

"Welcome to our humble home." Nizam swept his arm about. "We hope it meets your standards."

Oni's mouth hung open. The village was much larger than she had expected. Children frolicked in between the dwellings, kicking about a ball. The paused as the camels approached, the scampered out of the way. People began emerging, men and women. All of them paid some sort of respect to Ardeth, whether by slight bows or nods of the head. Oni noticed a group of young women clustered together, giggling at the sight of the leader of the Medjai. This struck an odd sense of jealousy into her. She shook it off, chalking it up to the heat.

Ardeth swung down, and was immediately greeted by a group of men, all with tattoos mirroring his own. He addressed them shortly, and they quickly dispersed. Nizam slid off of his camel as well, then helped Oni down.

"I must go now," he told her, "but we will see each other soon I am sure." Oni smiled at him.

"Thank you," Nizam nodded at her, then led the camels off. Oni stood uncertainly, unsure of what to do. Ardeth approached her.

"You can wait in the house just there. I have some things to take care of, but then I will be with you." he walked off without another word. Oni made her way to the house, pausing in the doorway when she arrived. Inside was a woman. She was much older than Oni, but just as beautiful. She looked up, then smiled brightly.

"Ah welcome!" she greeted, extending her arms. "Come, come, sit down! Are you thirsty?" Oni allowed herself to be brought into the house. It was cool and clean, the floor was simple packed dirt with a series of knitted mats laying over it. There were several rooms that appeared to extend off of the main room, which housed a cooking fire and small, low table. The woman brought her a cup of cool water.

"Drink," she instructed. "You must be thirsty after so long of a trip."

Oni nodded. "Thank you." she sipped the water, watching the woman bustle around her home further. After a few busy minutes she returned.

"Now tell me," she said, "how did you come to meet my son?"

Oni looked surprised. "Your son? Is Nizam your son?"

The woman chuckled, "No, no. Ardeth. I know he seems a great man now, but he was once a small boy who ate nearly everything." her laughter continued. Oni smiled as well, surprised that she had no trouble seeing the small, dark haired boy his mother described.

"Oh," she explained when their laughter had ceased. "it was an accident. He was in some trouble…" she paused, unsure of what to tell this woman.

The woman sighed. "He always is. It is the job of a Medjai. Did you help him?"

"I-- I saved his life." His mother paused. Suddenly she swept forward, enveloping Oni in a warm hug.

"I thank you," she whispered.

Oni squeezed back. "It was not a problem. Your son is a man worth saving." Their moment was interrupted by a shadow filling the doorway. Ardeth entered his childhood home. He addressed his mother in Hebrew. She pulled away from Oni and went to her son, kissing both his cheeks as though no one was present to see. Oni bowed her head, attempting to hide her smile. The mother and son talked for a moment more, gesturing to Oni every now and then. After a few minutes, he kissed his mother on the cheek and then turned his attention to Oni. Over his shoulder, she could make out his mother smiling at her. She returned the gesture.

Ardeth motioned for her to accompany him into another room. This room was darker and cooler, and contained bedding. Ardeth knelt down and Oni copied him.

"I see my mother Kiya has already adopted you into the family. Normally it takes her longer than a few minutes. I assume you told her?" Oni nodded. "Good. It spares me the trouble. You will stay with her while you are here. She will treat you as a daughter of her own."

"And where will you be?" Ardeth looked at her sharply and Oni realized that she had stepped out of line.

"We will be doing our sworn duty," he responded simply. Oni looked away, unable to meet his stoic glance. He watched her for a time before standing and walking to the door. "Rest now," he instructed. Then he was gone. Oni heard the low voices of him and his mother talking. A few minutes later, Kiya entered the room. Oni was cradling her face in her hands, the seriousness of her situation hitting her. The older woman knelt next to her and pulled her toward her.

"Shhhh," she comforted. "It will be alright. Do not pay Ardeth any mind. He is like this when his duty calls. He is only worried." Oni's sobs increased. She was sad that Kiya knew that Ardeth's harsh demeanor was the main reason for her tears. She allowed herself to be rocked to sleep by Kiya.


	4. Chapter 4

Ardeth was stressed. He and his men were assembling now, and forming a strategy. It had been decided that they would split into two groups: the larger of the two groups would wait at Hamunaptra, the smaller would lurk at the outskirts, and wait for the suited strangers to arrive. They all prayed it would not come to war, but Ardeth was not so sure. They left for the journey at sunrise. The men were all resting now, at home with their families. He would find no such rest. He walked slowly through the streets. Murmurs of voices drifted from behind the doors, some falling on his ears. It appeared that he was not the only one who could not sleep. Just beyond the outskirts of the village sat another person, wrapped in a blanket against the desert night's chill. He walked toward where the person sat.

"Might I join you?" Oni turned, surprised to see him. She nodded wordlessly. She turned from him, attempting to hide her face. He suspected he knew why.

"There is no shame in crying," he said as he sat next to her. "I am sure this is all hard for you. We will do everything we can to take care of the problem quickly, and then you may return home to your own family." A silence hung between them. Ardeth did not press her to respond, but was content to sit in the quiet. They remained like this for a time before she spoke.

"I have no family to return home to." she said simply. Ardeth looked at her.

"Surely there must be someone. A friend, a lover?" Oni shook her head.

"No one that is close enough to notice that I am gone right away. I have many acquaintances, but no one who is very close to me."

"And why is that?"

"I tend to keep to myself. I was a social outcast for so much of my childhood, that I have continued to make myself one now that I am grown."

Ardeth turned to her, wiping her tears away gently with his sleeve. "A beautiful woman like you should not be so lonely, nor should she dwell on the sadness in life." he cupped her face between his broad palms. "Life often deals us undesirable hands. But it is up to you to choose how you live. Choose to be happy."

She brought her hands up to his, covering them with her own. "Thank you." He nodded, letting his hands fall away. Another silence stretched between them. Oni longed to ask him what it was he had to do, but remembered his demeanor earlier. Instead she chose a roundabout way.

"I pray that you and your men will be safe tomorrow." Ardeth continued to stare straight ahead.

"Thank you, so do I. I fear we will need it."

"You worry about them." it was a statement more than a question.

"Yes. They all have families and wives. There is more for them to live for then there is for me. I would gladly die to save them."

"Do you not want a family?"

"One day yes, but the time has not yet come for that."

"Maybe when all of this is over?" she asked.

"Perhaps." he looked at her. "Why so curious?"

Oni quickly averted her eyes. "No reason in particular. I am just surprised that no one has snatched you up yet." This caused Ardeth to chuckle.

"What makes you think I am that desirable?" Oni opened her mouth, but found no suitable response. To tell him why she honestly thought this would be mortifyingly embarrassing. Luckily, Ardeth did not seem to be waiting for an answer. "We leave at sunrise." he informed her, completely changing the subject. "Will you be alright here by yourself?" It was the first time that he had asked her how was since they had arrived.

"I will be fine. Will you?"

"I hope so."

"You'd better. I didn't save you from a burning building for you to die a few days later," she half joked.

Ardeth smiled at her. "I will keep that in mind." They sat for a while, chatting lightly, neither able to sleep. The night chill grew, increasing until they were sitting close together, sharing the large blanket Oni had. "This was my blanket as a child." he mused, picking at it idly. Oni was comforted by that knowledge. The night wore on until the inky black of the sky gave way to the indigo color that came right before dawn. The village began stirring as husbands woke up and began bidding their wives and children goodbye. Nizam approached the duo and tapped Ardeth on the shoulder. Ardeth stood up.

"It is time for us to go." Nizam said. Ardeth nodded. He looked down at Oni.

"My mother will want to fuss over you before breakfast." Oni realized that it was his way of saying goodbye.

"I hope to see you both soon." she said as she stood up. Nizam winked at her.

"We will not be gone too long. Don't worry, I will make sure that our leader takes his medicine and wraps his ribs correctly." Oni smiled at him.

"I can count on you." The men bowed slightly then turned and walked away. Oni watched with the other women and children as they mounted their horses and finally, rode off into the desert. They began as a large group, but Oni could barely make out signs that they had split up. She watched until they disappeared onto the horizon. The rest of the morning passed by silently. Oni noticed that it seemed like the women and children were used to occurrences like these. It was the tradition of the village. On a regular basis, men took shifts protecting over the lost city. Their absence was nothing new. More often then not, they all returned home. It was their chosen lifestyle. They upheld it with dignity.

And so the days drug by. Oni helped Kiya with the chores, determined to keep herself as busy as possible. Her initial shyness wore off, and she found herself immersed in the culture. Kiya had begun to teach her the language and she found that she had a knack for it. She understood enough to pick her way through conversations. This newfound knowledge of herself thrilled Kiya and many of the others. A stranger who didn't know her own past, but knew their language. They concluded that she must be Egyptian. Oni made friends; she gossiped lightly with the young women, and played games of ball with the children. To her excitement, she discovered that the villagers were fans of music. They often danced and sung, insisting that Oni join in and even play them a song on a guitar-like instrument. She found herself falling in love with these people and their way of life. It suited her.

Two weeks passed, with little word from the men, save a scout who reported that nothing had happened after the first week had passed by. The people became on edge. The atmosphere felt like the calm before the storm.

Oni laid in her room in Kiya's home. She normally slept peacefully in the quiet of the desert, but today some strange sense of foreboding kept her awake. She was listening to the wind whistling across the sand. The sound began to lure her into a comfortable state of relaxation. She had almost fallen asleep when another noise caused her to sit up. She listened intently. There it was again. The sound of horses. She stood up and quickly made her way through the house and toward the door. She slid around the corner, attempting to look at whoever was out there without being seen. There appeared to be two people riding camels a way in the distance. Her heart stopped in her chest as panic set in. She ran backward into the house, nearly stumbling as she burst into Kiya's room.

"Kiya" she whispered loudly. "Kiya!"

The older woman was up, concerned by Oni's frantic tone. "What is it?"

"There are strangers outside. It looks like two of them." Kiya got up and crossed the room to a chest. She opened it, emerging with two rather large guns in tow. Oni's eyes widened. Kiya handed Oni one.

"You think my son would leave us without protection?" she asked simply. She held the gun, quickly showing Oni the basics.

"I need you to go around the other homes and wake them up. Quietly." she instructed. Oni nodded, swallowing the lump of panic in her throat. Kiya crept out first, gun held expertly. "Go." she whispered. Oni hurried down the street, dipping into the first house that she encountered. She continued on, surprised to find that each home had at least one gun. Other women joined in helping, and soon the village had been roused. They hurried forward, crouching, waiting for the strangers to arrive. The two camels and their riders paused at the low wall surrounding the village. One rider swung off its mount, motioning for the other to stay seated. The rider crept forward, passing by the first of the hidden women. In an instant Kiya was up, gun pointed firmly at the back of the strangers head.

"Who are you?" she yelled in Hebrew first, then English.

"Whoa, whoa!" the stranger pulled back his hood, revealing a copper haired man. The rider in the back swung down off its camel.

"Rick!" a female voice cried. The man called Rick turned, holding his hand up.

"Evie, don't!" Kiya lowered her gun.

"O'Connell's?" she asked.

Rick nodded. "I thought you were going to shoot me." he exhaled in relief.

'What are you doing here?" Kiya asked. Oni relaxed behind her. Obviously these people were not considered a threat.

The woman answered. "We have reason to believe that a group of German's working for the Nazi's are attempting to rediscover and raise Imhotep." Kiya nodded.

"We know, and we are taking care of it."

Rick shook his head. "You don't understand, these people aren't like what we were up against in the past. They're-"

He was cut off by the sudden appearance of a group of trucks high beams as they sped over a mound of sand. The desert filled with noise and movement as more men came rushing toward the village. Rick swore.

"See?" he questioned. "Do you have weapons?"

Kiya gestured to the gun in her hands. "Of course."

"Good," Evie said. "We're going to need them." The voices of men speaking in the harsh tones of German reached Oni's ears.

"Oh no," she moaned.


	5. Chapter 5

The men opened fire from the trucks. The women in the village leapt into action, taking cover behind any shelter available. Rick ran to his camel and retrieved what looked like a small arsenal, complete with grenades, dynamite and several machine guns.

"Government funding," he shrugged. His wife armed herself as well.

"Ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he responded. They ran forward, opening fire. Rick's strategy seemed to be shoot as many as he could as quickly as possible. His wife was more strategic, picking off enemies one by one. The women of the village needed no encouragement to join in. They had children to protect.

Shouts in German sounded as the trucks swung around, descending on the village. The air was pungent with the sound of gunfire and the smell of sulfur. Oni ran about, frantic with fright. Bullets whizzed around her. Men were in nearly in the village now, but the women were evident. She had never seen a man killed before. In one moment she saw many lives taken. Her legs felt weak. She slid down, clutching her rifle, unable to fire. A German man ran past her, pistol in hand. He fired, striking a woman in the arm. She collapsed against the side of her home, blood flowing freely. The German merciless raised his gun, prepared to do the worst. In one moment, Oni realized that it was kill, or watch a woman she knew be murdered. She raised her gun, squeezing the trigger. The kick of the gun rattled her entire body, but she achieved her goal. The man's body crumpled to the ground, peppered with holes.

Oni made eye contact with the injured woman. She realized that saving her life had been worth it.

"Get inside," she said in Hebrew. "Protect your children." The woman crawled into her doorway.

"Thank you." she said.

Oni nodded. She stood up, her jaw set in determination. She turned and rushed into the battle headfirst. She was surprised at how quickly her body fell into a necessary rhythm.

Point. Shoot. Point. Shoot. Point. Shoot.

In her peripherals, she saw Rick and Evie working systematically, keeping each other safe while disposing of their enemies. Only a few Germans were left now, and they were surrounded. Rick forced them to their knees, and the women encircled them. Oni breathed a sigh of relief. It was over.

An impossibly loud sound exploded into the night air. Oni turned, almost afraid of what she would see. A tank, fully decked as though for war barreled toward them, rolling over abandoned trucks as though they were no more than pebbles.

"Shit." it left her mouth before Oni even registered that she had thought it. Rick turned, swinging his machine gun around and opened fire. The tank fired back, shattering the wall into millions of pieces. Dust filled her senses. The tank fired a rocket and the women scattered, narrowly avoiding being hit. All of the captive Germans died in a cloud of smoke and blood and screams. Rick was thrown forward, and hit the ground. He was unconscious.

Oni realized that the situation was hopeless.

Women screamed, gathering up their children and running as fast as their legs would carry them, toward the other side of their village.

They were all going to be killed. Mercilessly and brutally murdered.

In that moment, Oni decided that if she was going to die, then damn it, the tank was coming with her. She ran toward Rick's unconscious form. She rolled him over, pulling off the strap of leather to which at least ten grenades were attached. She ripped it off of his chest. Before she could think about what she was about to do, she sprinted forward, directly toward the tank. Evie was yelling something at her, something her brain would not register. She was within ten feet of it. A bullet struck her arm. She scarcely noticed, as she ripped the pins out of as many grenades as she could. She let her legs drop out from under her and slid across the sand, carried by the momentum of her sprint. Oni swung the strap forward, hooking it to the tank. Knowing she only had seconds left, she turned as quickly as possible, pulled herself up and ran in the other direction.

A colossal explosion rocketed her forward. She had the vague impression of being carried forward on a wave of heat and twisted metal. She closed her eyes, knowing that the hard ground was rushing up to meet her. She smashed into the sand, setting up a cloud of dirt. Twisted remains of the tank landed around her, covering her unmoving body.

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Across the desert, Nizam sat on his horse, patiently awaiting an event that, for the last fortnight, had failed to occur. His men were restless, pacing and squinting out into the desert. Nizam had been placed in command of the second group. They were stationed at the outskirts of Humanaptra, somewhere between their village and the city. The other group was in the city itself. Ardeth had planned for nearly every situation. He did not want a repeat of the past experiences involving Imhotep and the Scorpion King. Nizam had to agree. Though they were all prepared to die to protect the secret, they all found living preferable.

The night was still, interrupted only by the occasional breeze. Nizam allowed himself to become lost in his thoughts. Somewhere off in the distance a horse whinnied. Within seconds, the horses in his group became restless. Some even began rearing and trotting about. Their owners tried to soothe them, nervous now as to what was causing this reaction. The answer came soon enough. Off in the distance, in the direction of home, a fire ball lit up the horizon.

The action was instantaneous. Men turned their horses toward the explosion, galloping as quickly as they could. The attack came quickly from the sides. Separate groups of men on horses immerged from the darkness. They managed to unhorse several Medjai flanking the group. Nizam thought quickly, shouting for the men to stand their ground and form ranks. He drew his sword slashing out at the nearest attacker, knocking him to the sand with a swipe to the ribs. He saw others around him fighting in the same style. They were impossibly outnumbered. Nizam realized that it was an ambush.

If help did not come soon, they would all be killed. He let out a mighty roar, causing his fellow Medjai to join him in the call. The fight raged on. The Medjai were outnumbered, but more skilled and able to hold their own for a time. A second wave of attackers raged forward. Nizam looked on in growing horror.

Suddenly, he heard a call echoing his own. Ardeth charged forward on his horse, his face a fierce mask of rage. Behind him came more Medjai, all posed to fight. With their number more than doubled, the battle quickly turned in their favor. The disposed of their enemies one by one, until only three men were left alive, but bleeding.

"Bind them." Ardeth instructed. "They may have information we need." Several men stepped forward to follow his orders. "We were attacked as well, but by a much smaller group," he told Nizam. "They appeared to be diggers. I think the goal was to distract us with the ambush while the others dug for the Book of Life, or perhaps the gold. They did not realize that we were in the city."

"We were on our way to the village," Nizam explained. Ardeth nodded.

"We saw the explosion as well." Ardeth remained silent for a while, trying to maintain a sense of calm. His duty to the families in the village overtook his duty to protect the lost city.

"I do not think they will try to get into the city again tonight. We will ride to the village." He prayed that he was not wrong in his decision.

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Ardeth and then men reached the village just as the sun was rising. He was off his horse before it had even stopped, running through the wreckage of the wall. His mother met him.

"It is alright," she assured him quickly. "No one is seriously injured. We had help." she gestured to the O'Connells. Evie was helping bandage the wounded while her husband helped haul away the bodies of the attackers. Elsewhere, women were armed with buckets and rags, scrubbing away the crimson that stained the walls. The children had been sent to the back of the village, away from all of the destruction. The teenagers had accompanied them. Ardeth did not need to instruct anyone; his men had already set about clearing the bodies. Others were working on the long process of reconstructing the wall. Nizam led the prisoners off. Rick looked up and spotted Ardeth. He approached.

"It's good to see you again, but it'd be nice to visit you at a time where the world wasn't going to hell," Rick quipped, embracing his old friend in a hug.

Ardeth smiled despite himself, "Thank you for assisting my people. Who knows what would have happened if you were not here."

"Oh I don't know. I think the women could have handled it. I'm told it was your mother who nearly shot me on sight." Ardeth chuckled.

"Where did you think I inherited it from?" Rick grinned.

"Evie and I have information for you. We've been working with the British intelligence. They have found out that it is the German's who mobilized against you. We believe that they may have outside help, possibly from Russia and maybe Italy. The Germans are becoming a real pain in the ass. You think they would have learned after the Great War."

Ardeth digested this information. "If they obtain both books, their forces would be nearly unstoppable. This cannot happen." Evie joined them.

"Did you tell him that the Book of the Dead is believed to be in Germany right now?" she asked her husband. "Hello Ardeth, it's good to see you again. Are you well?"

"Which questioned would you prefer we answer first?" her husband asked. She shot him a mild warning look.

"I have been better," Ardeth answered with a crooked smile. "Where in Germany?"

"Berlin, we believe." Evie answered.

"When do we leave?" Rick grinned.

"As soon as you are ready." Ardeth nodded. He looked around again, realizing he had not seen Oni. His face creased in concern. "We'll let you get back to being the leader," Rick said, pulling his wife away with him. "Tell us when you are ready to leave."

Ardeth searched for Oni. No one seemed to have seen her in the last several hours. A group soon set off looking for her. Ardeth feared the worst. Their search was fruitless, even after a half hour. Ardeth's heart sunk. He had promised to protect her. He wandered to the outskirts of the town, staring at the remains of what looked like a tank. He wondered vaguely how they had managed to destroy it. He kicked aside smoldering pieces of metal. Something caught his eye. A long fingered hand was visible under a particularly large piece. It looked unmistakably female. He flung the metal aside, scalding his fingers on the still hot wreckage. Oni was under it, her face blackened with soot, dirt and blood. He scanned her body; she had a cut on her left arm that looked like a bullet graze. He touched it gently. It would need to be cleaned. Blood congealed at a gash near her hairline. Ardeth was relieved to see that her chest was rising and falling. He felt her limbs, thanking Allah that nothing was broken. He gingerly pulled her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. He stood up slowly and made his way back to his mother's house.

He paced outside the door to the room where Kiya was cleaning Oni up. A half hour later, she emerged from the room.

"Miraculously none of her injuries were too serious. She is going to be very sore for a while, and she will need to keep her cuts clean. Other than that she will be fine." Ardeth exhaled with visible relief. Kiya noticed. "I think you should sit with her for a while. She will want you there when she wakes up."

"Thank you," he kissed his mother lightly on the top of her head.

"Shoo," she mock scolded, pushing him into the room. Oni was laying on the bed, her face wiped clean. A strange sensation stabbed his stomach. He crossed the room and laid down next to her, content to watch her breathe. He allowed himself to relax fully for the first time in weeks. He closed his eyes and slipped into a comfortable sleep.

Oni's eyes fluttered open. She stirred, surprised to find herself in a soft bed instead of the hot sand. For hours she had slid in and out of consciousness, desperately hoping someone would find her. Eventually she couldn't hold on any longer. She shook the painful memory away. Now she rolled over, and came face to face with Ardeth. His face was completely relaxed. He had never looked so handsome.

Surely, she thought, this must be heaven.

Ardeth shifted, rolling closer to her. Oni stretched her hand out, longing to touch him. She needed to make sure he was real. Her hand brushed his face and trailed over his facial hair. He sighed in his sleep, reaching out and pulling her closer. She found herself pressed against his chest. Oni knew that she had never felt more safe. Heaven was better than she thought it would be.

Ardeth's eyes suddenly popped open, connecting instantly with hers. She was afraid he would pull back, but he remained still, arms firmly wrapped around her.

"Are we dead?" she whispered. His answer was a wide grin.

"No," he sat up so he was positioned over her, but never moved his hands off of waist. His smile faded into what looked like an ashamed look. "I promised to keep you safe, I failed. I'm so-"

Oni cut him off by placing her hand over his lips. "Never apologize for saving a life," she echoed his words back to him. He gently took her hand in his own, sliding it from his lips to his cheek. She leaned her face upward toward his, while he moved down to meet her. Their lips touched.

"Hey Ardeth, can I talk to you-" Rick waltzed in. He abruptly stopped talking when he saw the two of them. "Oh, eh, sorry." he was gone as quickly as he had arrived.

Ardeth sat up. "I should see what he had to say," he said, a far off look in his eyes. Oni lifted herself up along with him.

"Ok," she said quietly. Inside she fumed at their stolen moment. Ardeth looked at her apologetically. He brought her hand, still enclosed in his own, to his lips. He brushed a kiss against her knuckles, then her forehead.

"I'll be back. I promise."

And then he was gone.

**A/N: I appreciate those of you who reviewed. They help motivate me to write. More is coming soon, I promise!**


	6. Chapter 6

Oni was back in London. It was late, so dark that the spaces between the streetlights looked like black holes. She was making her way down the sidewalk as slowly as possible, Ardeth in tow. She was not eager to return to a place that had never seemed like home. Rick and Evie needed to make a quick stop in London to check on their son who was staying with his uncle. It was decided that Oni should return home at this time.

So now they walked, side by side, the silence between them overwhelming. They had not spoken about what happened between them in Kiya's house. Ardeth had remained conspicuously silent, only speaking when necessary. Oni assumed that Ardeth saw their brief kiss as a mistake and was eager to get rid of her. Her heart and her pride were wounded. She did not know why he accompanied her to her home now, probably to fulfill his promise in keeping her safe. She must be a nuisance, one that he was happy to get rid of. Her eyes stung, but she hastily blinked it away. She would not cry for him, not again.

They rounded the corner to her tiny townhouse. She walked up the narrow path ahead of him. When she got to the door, she noticed that it was already cracked open. She never left her door unlocked. Ardeth noticed it too, and he pulled her back behind him quickly, gun already drawn. He pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. Her house had been ransacked. Tables were overturned, lamps knocked over, and even the couches and furniture had been slashed apart. Ardeth reached for Oni, pulling her inside and locking the door. Oni flipped on one of the lamps on the ground and picked it up. It's cord was unusually long.

"They must have gotten my address from my car's registration," she said. Her voice was strangely calm.

"What else could they know about you?" Oni didn't answer immediately. She walked into a room adjoining the living room. He followed. A modest pine desk was flipped over, it's drawers strewn about. Her papers had been rifled through. She inspected them for a moment.

"My bills and some other documents are missing. They know all about me." she sighed. Her eyes flickered with a thought. She rushed past Ardeth and into her bedroom. He heard crashes as she threw things about, frantically searching. He followed her. The lamp had been deposited on the floor. He lifted it, helping shed light on her search area. She tossed aside a small wooden box, visibly relived when something appeared underneath it. She lifted it up. It was a thin, fragile gold chain to which a charm of some sort was attached. She stood up, cradling it in her palm. Tears of relief sprung up in her eyes.

"I thought they had taken it," she whispered. Ardeth approached her, carefully removing the necklace from her hand. He moved behind her, brushed her hair aside and fastened it around her neck. Her hair was soft and silken, and he felt the familiar pang she so often caused.

"This is important to you?" he asked, waiting for an explanation.

She nodded. "It was the only thing they had to identify me by when I was brought to the orphanage. It's how I know my name." She held it up. It was a locket. She opened it. Inside, in old-fashioned cursive script, was written the word 'Oni.' On the other half of the locket was a long stemmed rose, its red petals faded from time. Ardeth reached out and gently closed the locket. His hand lingered on her skin. She pulled back.

"I need to get out of here. They might come back."

"Come with me."

"I'll be fine on my own." She was already filling a suitcase with clothing. "I won't burden you any longer." Ardeth watched her in confusion.

"What makes you think you are a burden to me?" he approached her. She didn't answer him, but continued to pack, her back to him the whole time. He gently gripped her arm and spun her around, pulling her into his chest. He leaned in.

"Don't," she repeated, "don't."

"Why not?"

"I don't like being toyed with." She tried in vain to escape his hold on her. He raised an eyebrow as though confused. "You haven't spoken to me since we…" he cut her off by pressing his mouth to hers. His lips massaged hers gently, and against her better judgment, her body responded. After a moment he pulled back. Oni was left gasping.

"I'm sorry I did not do that sooner." he murmured in her ear. "Sometimes I allow my duties to get in the way of the things that I want most." he leaned back, slightly loosening his grip on her waist. "I am also sorry if it appeared as though I was toying with you. But when this is all over, I hope you will still be here." He pulled away before she could respond and closed her suitcase. "For now, you are right, we must go." He lifted the suitcase easily with one hand and reached for her with the other. Oni hesitated for a fraction of a second before she placed her hand in his. They made their way out of her house quickly. The locket bounced against her chest, cool against her flushed skin. Her lips still tingled.

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The airplane ride was mostly silent. Rick and Evie spent the majority of the ride cuddling and whispering. Evie sent Oni some covert knowing looks. Oni flushed in response. When the married couple had finally drifted off into sleep, Oni and Ardeth remained awake. He was lounging against the seat and staring out of the small window, deep in thought. He knew that he should be strategizing for what lay ahead, thinking about what the German captives told him and how to get the Book back, but try as he might, he could not. His thoughts were dominated by the woman sitting next to him.

He snuck a glance at her, and to his surprise she was already looking at him. They both hastily averted their eyes. To his horror, Ardeth felt one of the few blushes of his life creeping into his cheeks. He dared to glance over again. She did too. This time he held her gaze. She lowered her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips. He watched her slowly slide her hand across the seat toward his, stopping when they were millimeters apart. Without hesitation, he covered it with his own. She squeezed gently.

Across from them, Rick looked down and winked at his smiling wife. 'It's about time he met a girl,' he mouthed. Evie smiled.

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Germany was beautiful. However, Oni could not shake the sense of lingering sadness that was apparent. There was also a strange air of what could only be described as 'evil.' She felt her pity for the people of this country's situation with every sad stranger she passed. Most people avoided eye contact and no one smiled at the visitors as they made their way to a large warehouse. It was plain at first sight, and did not draw the eye. It was the perfect place to hide the Book of the Dead. They were crouched behind a stack of wooden crates outside of what were presumed to be Nazi headquarters. Rick and Ardeth were in front, scoping out the place. Oni held in a chuckle at the latter's appearance. His dark locks were tucked under an army cap and his tattoos were veiled by large aviator goggles. He looked strange in the khakis and button up shirt that he and Rick had 'borrowed' from the two Nazi soldiers now unconscious in the broom closet.

Evie and Oni were behind them and feeling rather left out of the plans. Evie whispered to Oni.

"We're going to need some sort of a distraction to get past the guards there." Oni nodded.

"I have an idea. Remember the store we passed, with the milk maid's outfits?" Evie looked confused.

"Have you ever gotten one of those singing fruit basket deliveries?"

Evie grinned. "They're not going to like it." Oni shrugged.

"Serves them right for ignoring us for this long."

Rick and Ardeth continued talking.

"We're going to need a distraction," was Ardeth's brilliant conclusion. Rick agreed.

"Hey girls-" he stopped when he turned and didn't see them. Both men began to panic, looking around for the girls. "How long have they been gone?"

Ardeth looked at him incredulously. "I have no idea." He began to stand up when suddenly Evie's voice rang out in German. Both men peered over the crates. Evie and Oni were dressed in puffy sleeved dresses with full red shirts. They each had a black apron on over them and what looked like rather uncomfortable wooden clogs. Most shocking were the blonde pigtailed wigs both women were donning. Evie was announcing something to the guards posted at the doors. The three guards moved forward, enraptured by whatever the girls were about to do. The guards turned their backs to them. It was now or never. Ardeth and Rick crept toward the doorway. They were almost through, when one of the guards began turning back around. Oni's eyes widened. She could only think of one thing to do. She opened her mouth and sang a rather crude sailor's song as loudly as she could.

The man's head snapped back around, and Ardeth's mouth dropped open as he watched Oni prance about, swinging her skirt, batting her eyelids, and blowing kisses. Rick grabbed him by the shoulder and jerked him inside. They ran to the storage room where the German's they had taken reported the book to be. Rick dipped inside while Ardeth locked the door. They immediately began searching. Ten minutes later, Ardeth located a cast iron safe.

"I am willing to bet what we came for is in there," Rick observed as he knelt in front of it.

"Yes, but we will need the code," Ardeth replied. He began shuffling through things, looking for a clue. He didn't need to; Rick had his ear pressed against the safe. After a few spins of the lock, it popped open. Ardeth looked at him questioningly.

"I have had some experience with safes." Ardeth decided not to press the issue. He opened it, pulling out the black Book of the Dead. He tossed it to his partner, who pushed it into the large duffle bag he was holding. Rick quietly swung the door open, peering around the corner. "Let's go!" he motioned to Ardeth. The two crept out. "I hope my wife and Oni have managed to distract the guards for this long."

"I do also."

They moved quickly, trying to remain inconspicuous. They got near the doorway again, the guards strangely absent. Ardeth shot Rick a worried look that the other returned. They began to move quicker, nearly jogging. "HEY!" a shout rang out in German.

"Go!" Ardeth whispered loudly. The two of them ran. More shouts in German broke out, followed by the sounds of booted feet sprinting after them. The men put on more speed.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Rick lamented. He spun around, swinging two guns out from under his jacket. He opened fire, taking out four or five guards within seconds. The heavy metal doors of the warehouse they were in were being shut by another two Nazis. Ardeth elbowed one in the face and smashed his fist into the other.

"Come on!" he bellowed at Rick, who was getting caught up. Rick nodded and ran out of the doors ahead of Ardeth. The Medjai pushed the heavy doors shut. Rick appeared again, holding a heavy crowbar. He wedged it into the handles of the door, effectively locking it. "Good idea." Ardeth observed.

"I'm full of them. Now let's go!" The doors were already banging behind them as the Nazis attempted to get out. The two of them ran down the street.

"Where are the women?" Ardeth asked. His question was answered when a car swung to a stop in front of them. Oni opened the back door.

"Get in," she instructed. Evie was at the wheel. Rick jumped into the passenger seat next to his wife while Ardeth leapt into the back with Oni. "Did you get it?" she asked. Ardeth leaned back and nodded. Evie sped around the corner.

"We called for back up," she explained. "They should be able to get us out." Rick looked at his wife.

"You know, you don't look too bad as a blonde. Maybe you should wear the outfit at home sometime." She smacked him lightly.

"Depends on whether or not you show up wearing that uniform. But I draw the line at the shoes."

Ardeth, who was used to their suggestive bantering, tuned them out. He turned his head to look at Oni.

"I was not aware that you could sing," he said, a joking light in his eyes.

"Nice goggles," she fired back. He chuckled.

He reached to her, swiping the pig-tailed wig off of her head, causing her curls to cascade out and down to her shoulders. In return she removed his hat, running her fingers through the waves, attempting to tame them. He pulled the goggles off and tossed them under the seat. Oni scooted in closer to him. He slid his hand behind her and around her waist. She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. Rick and Evie looked at each other with small smiles playing on their faces. In the rearview mirror a fleet of silver cars became apparent. Rick noticed.

"You guys, we've got company!"

**A/N: Thank you to thosse who reviewed! Please review some more and tell me how you think the story is coming. :) More juicyness is coming up, I promise!**


	7. Chapter 7

Oni spun her head around. "Silver cars," she moaned under her breath. Ardeth looked at her.

"Here we go again." The cars sped up and Evie floored it.

"Hold on everybody, we're going to try and outrun them," she shouted. Gunshots rang out, pinging off the trunk. Oni and Ardeth ducked down. Ardeth dug into the bag at his feet, pulling out a machine gun, a rifle and a shot gun. He tossed the shotgun up to Rick, grabbed the machine gun for himself and handed the rifle to Oni.

"Will you be able to shoot?" he asked. She nodded and took the gun. "Aim a little to the left of whatever you are shooting at," he instructed. "hand it to me if you need to reload."

"Ready?" Rick asked from the front. The people in the backseat nodded. The cars were gaining on them now, and two of them were flanking the back of the car. Ardeth gave Oni an encouraging smile, then rolled his window down a crack. He squeezed the trigger, the sound filled the car, nearly deafening Oni. One of the cars swung sideways, attempting to avoid the line of fire. It crashed into a fire hydrant, unleashing an explosion of water. Ardeth continued shooting, hitting the engine. The explosion blinded Oni momentarily.

"Nice shot," she complimented. He winked at her.

"One down," Evie yelled over the sound. "Three more left. Rick, to your left!" A car had broken away when it had swerved to avoid the explosion and was now pulling up to the passenger side of the car. The car rolled their window down and a man with a gun emerged.

"Crap, I'm out of bullets!" Rick yelled. Ardeth was busy shooting behind them.

"Oni!" he yelled. She was already in the duffle bag shuffling through for the shells. In the meantime, Rick had managed to pull the other man further out of the window and was wailing on his face. This caused the other car to swerve, crashing into a low cement wall. The engine started smoking.

"Two down!" Rick yelled. Oni handed him the box of shells. Ardeth was dealing with the third car. A German took the butt of the rifle to the face and another was unlucky enough to take a bullet or two to the chest. The third car swerved away. Ardeth turned and smiled.

"I think they're giving u-" he was interrupted by a bullet tearing through the back windshield and striking him in the arm. He gasped in pain. Oni was on him, already trying to stem the blood flow.

"We need to get out of here!" she yelled. Evie swung the car around a corner.

"We're a mile away from backup. Hold on!" Rick grabbed the machine gun, nodding encouragingly at Ardeth. He turned and fired at the last of the cars. It turned the corner and disappeared.

"We're in the clear for now."

"Almost there," Evie announced. Oni increased the pressure on Ardeth's arm. She did not speak, but her eyes shone with worry.

"I'll be fine," he whispered through gritted teeth. She pressed her forehead to his.

"Just breathe," she said. Evie pulled the car into a sudden and screeching halt.

"We have to go the last block by foot. Can you make it?" She looked at Ardeth.

He nodded. "Let's go."

To her relief, Oni saw British agents rushing toward them. Rick and Evie were already out of the car. Ardeth pulled himself out as well.

"I've got the bag, Go!" She reached under the seat. She heard Rick scream something at her. Before it could register, her door was wrenched open. She felt rough hands grasp her ankles and tug. Without thinking, she tossed the bag as hard as she could to the other side of the car. A British agent caught it. She felt herself being yanked to her feet. The cold steel of a rifle pressed firmly under her jugular. Time stopped.

She could see Ardeth screaming, the British men pulling him back. Rick and Evie were yelling as well, but she didn't know what they were saying. She heard the Germans behind her, bartering her life for the book. She didn't know what happened next, only that she was suddenly in the backseat of the German truck. Something blunt connected with her head, and her world slipped into darkness.

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Ardeth tore out of the grasp of the man holding him back. It was too late; the German truck was already fading into the horizon, Oni in the backseat. It turned the corner and was gone. He let out a frustrated scream, some guttural sound that startled the British agents and surprised even himself. He scarcely remembered that he was bleeding until a medic timidly approached him. His response was a venomous glare. He stomped toward Rick.

"We have to get her back." it was not a question or a request, but a solid command. A bold British officer spoke up.

"We can't. We finally got the book back. We can't trade it for her."

"Who said I had any intention of trading?"

"No," the officer repeated. He straightened his posture defiantly. "We have our orders. It's too risky. One casualty to save the world is a small price to pay." Ardeth lunged forward, prepared to beat the insensitivity out of the man with his one good arm. Rick stepped in between them, saving the Brit a couple of bruises.

"We're saving her." his tone was final.

"But-" the Brit attempted to argue again.

"No. This man saved us more times than I care to count. He saved Evie without question. He saved Alex without question. We're returning the favor."

Evie agreed. The Brit tried futilely one last time. "But that means traveling all of the way to Egypt! They want us to raise the monster!"

Ardeth silenced him with a look. "I have already said I have no intention of doing so."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

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Oni had no recollection or idea of how long she had been held captive. She estimated that it had at least been several days. She was often kept literally in darkness. Her days were dominated by the guttural sounds of German, and occasionally a Nazi leering in at her. She knew that as the hours passed, her time here ticked away. Whatever the Germans wanted she was sure they were not going to get. Once they realized it, she was useless. She was afraid to contemplate what would happen to her. She decided that at the first opportunity for escape, she would take her chances. Unfortunately, it never came. The German's guarded her heavily; she was their only bargaining chip. She only saw brief glimpses of her surroundings, a flash of the hull of a boat, later a glimpse of the street, and then the wing of a plane. She had an idea where she was going. She dared to hope she was right. It was her only chance.

The Germans finally stopped traveling. She felt her bare feet (her clogs had been lost back in Germany) plunged into hot sand. The black bag was ripped from her head. White light rushed in, nearly blinding her. She blinked. Eventually her vision cleared and she looked down at herself. She was pretty bruised and her milk maid outfit was dirty anc crushed until it was shapeless, but otherwise she was fine. The Nazi's were rushing around setting up a camp. Tents took shape before her eyes. She was left standing in the middle of the bustle, arms and legs bound. She contemplated escaping, but realized that she did not know in what direction to flee. She was prodded roughly in the back. A soldier was barking something at her, forcing her into a nearby tent. She was tied to a wooden pole supporting the tent and left alone, a guard posted at the entrance. She struggled quietly, trying to get the knot binding her wrists loose. After several hours of trying in vain to escape, she slid into an exhausted and hopeless sleep.

She was jostled awake. She noticed that it was darker outside. She tried to calculate how long she had been sleeping. She quickly abandoned the effort, realizing it didn't matter. He was being forced to her feet. Someone had untied her legs. The butt of a gun was forcing her outside and then to the end of the camp. The sun was rising to the east. In the shadows of the early morning she made out three figures. Her heart skipped a beat. Ardeth had come for her. Rick and Evie flanked him. There were shouts, and she was moved forward again. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she got closer to her friends.

A man stepped forward, speaking in harsh tones. Evie responded in German. The other man became outraged. Evie responded calmly in English.

"It's either that, or no deal." The man's face turned beet red. He barked out some orders then nodded. Oni was confused. Ardeth pulled out the Book of the Dead. It was already open. Oni began panicking. She didn't know what would happen if it were read, but she knew it was nothing good. Ardeth couldn't sacrifice the world for her.

"Don't!" she yelled. "It's not worth it!" A German shoved her.

"Quiet!" he yelled in her ear. Oni struggled until she was knocked forward onto her knees. Her face hit the sand. In her ears she heard Ardeth's voice, reading in some language she did not understand. Below her the sand began to shift on its own. Another voice mingled with the whistling of the wind. It frightened her more than anything she had ever heard before. She pulled her head up quickly. The sand was swirling now. The German's yelled excitedly. With some difficulty, she managed to pull herself up to her feet. The winds were howling, and the sand stung her eyes and face. Ardeth reached out for her, pulling her to his chest and out of the spiraling sand. The German's were too preoccupied to notice. Ardeth was dragging her backwards, trying to get away from whatever was about to happen.

"Brace yourself!" he shouted to the O'Connells. Oni's eyes grew wide as the ground opened up in front of her feet. She watched the desert sands get swallowed into themselves. She realized that a giant, open- mouthed face had formed. The voice on the winds increased into a near yell. The entire camp in front of them was disappearing at a tremendous rate. The horses the Germans had brought were frantically leaping over collapsed tents and equipment. Their owners screamed, desperately looking for a means of escape. It was over as quickly as it had begun. The desert was swept smooth, no sign that anyone had ever been there. The Germans were gone, all trace of their existence in the desert wiped clean. All that remained were Rick and Evie and Ardeth and Oni. They looked at each other silently.

"Whoa," Oni breathed. She realized that she had a death grip on Ardeth's arms. She loosened it slightly. Her reaction caused Rick to chuckle. He was soon joined by Evie, then finally Ardeth.

"I almost forgot that this is the first time you've dealt with things like this," Evie mused.

"I guess that is the end of that," Rick observed.

"What was that?" she asked. Her mind was trying to work out what would cause the winds to move like that, or the sand to make that shape, or that terrifyingly deep voice that she could have sworn she had heard.

Ardeth answered simply, "What we are protecting the world from." he locked eyes with her. Something told Oni he might explain it to her later.

"Well," Evie said, "that's that. Shall we go home now?" she addressed Rick.

"Sounds like a plan." He swung his arm around his wife's shoulders. Ardeth helped Oni up onto his horse. Rick and Evie were already mounted on their camel. Ardeth swung up behind her. He braced her against himself with one arm encircled around her waist. Oni leaned into him, taking comfort in the warmth of his body. "Ready?" Rick asked.

She snuggled closer into Ardeth, turning her cheek to his chest. His arm tightened around her. He spurred his horse into motion with a single sound. The talk was joking and light on the way to the village, save for Evie's question.

"Are you going to return to England with us?" it was directed at Oni. A shadow of something flickered over Ardeth's face, but he quickly quelled it.

"Oh, erm-" Oni attempted to answer. It didn't matter, Evie had already turned around. Evidently, she had only wanted to start the thought process behind Oni's decision. She was chatting with her husband in low tones. Rick glanced up at Oni and raised his eyebrows. She looked away, the gears in her head turning. She was so lost in thought that the rest of the ride passed without her noticing. Her heart swelled as the village came into view. The wall had been fixed. No one was up quite yet, it was still early in the day and the population was tired from rebuilding and clearing the damage. They rode into the village. Rick and Ardeth helped the ladies down.

"I'm going to go change. Oni, do you want to come?" Oni agreed. She sent a meaningful look at Ardeth as the two left.

"You know," Rick began a little later when the two men were putting their mounts in the stables, "if you don't want to lose her, you need to tell her." Ardeth glanced at him.

"Tell her what?" Rick rolled his eyes.

"If I have to tell you, then she really shouldn't stay." Ardeth stayed silent for a moment.

"Do you think she will stay?" he said finally. Rick clasped him on the back.

"Only one way to find out."

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Evie and Oni had gone to the river to bathe. In the early light of morning, the water was cool and refreshing. Oni submerged herself, glad to be out of that damned disguise. She allowed the water to wash away the blood and dirt. Her entire body was sore and weary, but the simple act of washing out her hair helped relax worked her fingers through the knotted mess that was her hair, trying to untangle it. Evie was rinsing as well, but significantly less dirt and blood was rinsed off of her skin. She let Oni wash in peace for a moment before she asked her burning question.

"What is between you and the leader of the Medjai?" Oni paused, then ducked her head underwater. She came up, sputtering.

"I don't know."

"Well how do you feel about him?"

"I--" Evie interrupted her.

"Don't think, just answer." she instructed.

"I really care about him. I just don't know if he feels the same way."

"Well he has kissed you hasn't he?" Oni's eyes widened. "No use denying it," Evie waved her hand. "Rick told me about you two. Ardeth doesn't strike me as someone who kisses women lightly." Oni considered this for a moment. "All I am saying is, opportunities only present themselves once in a lifetime. Don't let something you care about go so lightly." She climbed out of the water. "I am going to go find my husband. Good luck." She walked away. Oni washed for a while, then did a few laps, trying to clear her mind. But when she drug herself out of the pool, her emotions were as erratic as ever.

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Oni had two outfits laid out in front of her. One, Evie had provided, a common skirt and blouse. The other was an outfit much like the one she had first worn in Egypt. Kiya had brought her for her, but not before fussing over the woman and making sure she was in good health. Oni's heart had grown at teh affection. It was almost like having a mother. She was staring at the clothing now, clutching the robe around her body, trying to make a decision.

"_Opportunities only present themselves once in a lifetime. Don't let something you care about go so lightly."_

Oni stood still, silent in thought. Evie's words echoed around her head. Exhausted and confused, she allowed herself to collapse on the bed next to the clothing. She laid there for a while, confusing thoughts rushing through her head at frightening speeds. Leaving home was not the issue. London had never seemed like home to her. She loved the people here, Nizam and Kiya and the others in the village. The trouble was, if she chose to stay here, what would Ardeth think? Would she have a future with him? Behind her she heard the sound of someone entering. She knew it was Ardeth when her heart skipped a beat. The bed caved in a little as he rested his weight on it. She rolled over and faced him. He laid down next to her.

"We first kissed here." he said softly. Oni smiled.

"Well, almost." she took his hand. "You left."

"Well, despite that, I would like it very much if you stayed," he said point blank.

She sat up, daring to scoot closer to him. Her fingers brushed the bandages covering his arm then trailed down across his ribs. Her chocolate curls created a curtain, shielding her face. "Are you feeling any better?" she evaded.

"It is your decision of course. But here, you could have a good future." he said pointedly. "And yes, I do feel better. I still have a few of those pills you gave me," he sat up next to her.

"I know I will have a future," she began tentatively, "but, will it be with you?" The cards were all on the table.

"Yes, if that is what you want." He brushed his lips against her eyelids, then the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. Oni pressed into him, allowing him better access to kiss her. Their kiss was uninterrupted this time. Ardeth held her close. They kept kissing, long after the first time they needed to breathe. When they finally stopped, Oni's lips had the pout of kiss-swollenness. Ardeth stroked her hair and pulled her chin gently up, tilting her head to him. They locked eyes, unspoken admissions passed between them.

"I will leave you to change and to decide." he said finally. He stood and walked out of the door.

Oni looked at the clothing after he left. She knew in her heart that she had already decided.

**A/N: School is getting crazy hectic, so I will be wrapping up the story soon. Truth is, I could continue this story for a while more, but time isn't allowing and I want to finish it before I lose my muse. Thanks to those who reviewed!**


	8. The End

Oni was organizing her room. Behind her on the bed were spread out the remainder of her belongings that were not destroyed. It had taken her hours to get to this point. All of her clothing was in its rightful place now, folded and stored. Her jewelry, or what was worthless enough to remain, was in its satin box. The only thing left now were her books. She was stacking them, alphabetically of course, in the small bookshelf resting against one of the walls of her room. She paused, locating a book that she hadn't seen in quite some time. It was battered and well weathered, an old personal favorite of hers. She thumbed through it for a moment. Before long she found herself folded cross legged on the floor, re-reading it for the umpteenth time. She was so lost in the work of nonfiction that she did not notice the slip of paper that had fluttered out of it and landed in her lap until her legs went numb and she was forced to stretch out. The note was handwritten on a piece of simple cream colored stationary. The loopy handwriting proclaimed:

_**Oni,**_

_**It is a pleasure to be sending you your belongings. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of looking through your library. It is quite an impressive collection. I particularly enjoyed the romances. I read this one, as it seemed particularly worthwhile. You know, I think I may write a few of my own. I certainly have the experience for one. Anyhow, I am enclosing this note inside this particular book, because I know that, eventually, you will find it. I just wanted to congratulate you on a brave decision and to wish you happiness in all you do.**_

_**With love,**_

_**Evelyn**_

_**P.S. Rick says hello and to tell Ardeth he told him so.** _

"What are you reading?" Oni looked up to see Ardeth standing over her.

"Evie left a note in one of my books," she said standing up. She handed it to him. After a moment, he smiled.

"O'Connell is the same as ever." He handed the note back to her. She tucked it into the book tenderly. "You have finally unpacked it all," he observed.

"I told you it would all fit." She said, draping her arms around his shoulders. He pulled her in.

"That you did." They kissed. It was unrushed, the kiss of lovers who were long used to each other. "How nice of Evie to send all of your belongings here," he muttered in between kisses.

"Mm hmm," she responded. She was too distracted by his shirtless torso to pay too much attention. "Were you sparring with Nizam?"

"I was. He says hello and that his wife misses talking to you."

"I'll have to go visit her then."

"That can wait," his tone was suggestive, but his face was innocent. He went to the bookshelf, scanning the titles.

"You know, I read one of those books you seem to enjoy so much. Is it even possible to live up to the stature of the men in these books?" He lifted one up, its cover adorned with a rain-drenched, muscular pirate sweeping some aristocratic woman off of her feet.

A blush stained her cheeks as she inspected his muscled form thoroughly from head to toe.

"I'd say you do a pretty fair job of it," she reached for the book but he easily evaded her. She tried again. He caught her wrists and flipped her upside down. She squealed as he dropped her on their bed. He toppled over on top of her, attempting to capture her lips in yet another kiss. This time she evaded him, rolling over and pushing him on his back.

"Besides," she seized the book and tossed it over the edge of the bed. "I don't need these anymore. I have the real thing."

"Good," he gently pulled her down on top of him. She sighed, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"I'm glad you stayed with me," he murmured into her neck. He toyed with the necklace she was never without. Next to the locket gleamed another trinket, a simple golden piece designed to look like a rose.

"So am I." She linked hands with her husband.


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